The red light camera situation in Houston has become nothing less than a catastrophe over the past few months. In November, voters passed a referendum to remove the red light cameras, and the City Council complied.
However, American Traffic Solutions — the company that the red light cameras are contracted to — has a deal that extends for at least three more years.
If the cameras are shut down (as they were in November) then the contract is not being honored by the city, and ATS is owed damages.
To make matters worse, US District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled in June that the referendum was unconstitutionally placed on the ballot.
That means that the vote was invalid in the first place, and that the red light cameras should be turned back on.
They already have been turned on — as of 6 p.m. Saturday, the cameras have been taking pictures once again, although no fines are being distributed yet.
There is a problem with the cameras being switched back on. Is it the voters’ fault that there was a referendum placed on the ballot improperly? No, that decision was made squarely by the city council. But, improper or not, the city spoke, and the results clearly say no more red light cameras.
Now the city finds itself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one hand, the voters — whether validly or invalidly — have said no more cameras.
On the other hand, the city will owe millions of dollars to ATS and lose millions more in ticket revenue by shutting off the cameras. It’s not an easy decision to make.
But we believe the correct decision would be to honor what the city says it wants. If the city council asks voters what they want, they are obligated to follow suit.
If that means legal ramifications down the road, so be it.
But asking the voters how they feel and then going completely against their will is not the correct way to go about city business.
Here's an idea. Stop running red lights.
But then how would the city make any money? 🙂